US soldiers injured in Afghanistan

US troops still find weapons left from the Taleban era

By Ian MacWilliam BBC correspondent in Kabul

Six American soldiers have been injured in Afghanistan in recent days.

A military spokesman at the main US base north of Kabul said five of the injuries were the result of hostile action.

These instances and regular rocket attacks against American military bases underline the continuing insecurity in large parts of the country beyond the capital.

Some 8,000 US troops are still based in the country, many of them hunting for al-Qaeda remnants in the Pashtun tribal lands of the east.

Enemy fire

Four of the soldiers were injured in two separate incidents in eastern Afghanistan.

One explosive device went off under a vehicle and another apparently went off attached to a parked bicycle.

Some Afghans are resentful of any outsiders

Another American was shot in the leg while patrolling on horseback in western Afghanistan.

Rockets are frequently fired at American bases, though few do any damage as they usually miss their targets.

Afghans helping the Americans are also under threat.

Three have been injured in southern Afghanistan in recent days, one by gunshots and two in a grenade blast.

It is unclear who the various attackers are.

US military authorities say they are most likely to be Taleban or al-Qaeda supporters, but in the heavily armed tribal lands there is a long tradition of local people attacking any outsiders they feel are a threat.

Weapons cache

The international security force in Kabul, with some 4,500 soldiers from 20 countries, is separate from the US force.

Their presence is generally welcomed in the capital and there have been relatively few recent attacks against them.

One major cause of instability is the quantities of weapons still stashed away in Afghanistan after years of fighting.

On one day last week, American troops discovered four weapons caches in different parts of the country - including guns, grenades and hundreds of rockets and mortar rounds.

In northern Afghanistan, rivalry between the two main military commanders continues to cause problems.

The United Nations has been helping to collect spare weapons there, in a disarmament programme aimed at reducing tensions.